FG moves to achieve affordable, sustainable transportation
NAN-H-75
Innovation
By Taiye Edeni and Lizzy Okoji
Abuja, June 14, 2017 (NAN) The Federal Ministry of Transportation on Wednesday organised a stakeholders forum to adopt implementable innovations to achieving affordable, modern and sustainable transportation in the country.
The forum with the theme: “Transforming the Road Transport and Mass Transit Operations and Management in Nigeria, through innovations and Public Private Partnership” was held in Abuja.
Mr Sabiu Zakari, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, said that the forum was aimed at providing a platform for the private sectors to develop and present viable innovations to improve road transportation in the country.
Zakari, who was represented by Mr Solomon Ishaya, Director, Transport, Planning and Coordination in the Ministry, said the innovations would also be deployed in various states of the Federation.
Zakari said that transportation is critical to national development and in recognition of this fact the present administration in a bid to diversify the economy is making concerted efforts to revamping the sector.
He explained that this would make the sector economically viable, efficient and effective in terms of service delivery.
“The road transport sector accounts for 90 per cent in terms of movement of goods and services and requires due attention.
“Since the government alone cannot possibly do everything, there is need for all hands to be on deck to move the sub-sector forward.
‘’It is in recognition of this that the Ministry during its first stakeholders’ workshop in July 2016 called on the private sector to provide implementable innovations in the road sub-sector.
“The ministry has received proposals on various solutions with hopes that such initiatives would add value to the system toward achieving affordable, modern and sustainable transportation in the country,” Zakari said.
The Permanent Secretary added that the meeting would also create a forum for interaction and change-directed interfaces with key players at various levels of government, the private sector and development communities.
Zakari called on participants to apply their cognate experience by constructively appraising the proposals and endorsing them accordingly to fulfill the objectives of the gathering.
In his remark, Alhaji Musa Isiwele, National President, Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), said that the road transport sub-sector has been for a while, saying the forum is a step in the right direction.
He said that the challenges facing the road sub-sector sectors are enormous and the innovations when adopted and implemented will go a long way to addresses the problems in the road sub-sector.
Also speaking, Mrs Anthonia Ekpa, Director, Road Transport and Mass Transit Department in the Ministry, said that the department since its inception has recorded huge success in addressing the problems in the land sub-sector.
She said that taking into cognisance the importance of the road sub-sector to economic and national development, the department of Road Transport and Mass Transit was created in May 2014.
Ekpa said that the department was created with a vision to transform road transport and Mass transit through technology driven frameworks of action.
She said that until now, the road sub-sector had not received adequate attention financially, emotionally and technically from the government. (NAN)
TY/LIZ/AFA
Edited by Felix Ajide
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